Railway-car-door fastener



Jan. 21, 1930. J. A. HICKS 1,744,118

RAILWAY GAR DOOR FASTENER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l I I I l w W 9 I/[W Jan. 21, 1930.

J. A. HICKS RAILWAY CAR DOOR FASTENER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 21, 1930. c s v 1,744,118

RAILWAY CAR DOOR FASTENER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Jan. 21, 1930. J. A. HICKS RAILWAY CAR DOOR FASTENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 10, 1927 Qwuentox kfames a M'cks,

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Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITE JAMES A. HICKS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR T0 AUTOMATIC CAR LOCK COM- PANY, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA RAILWAY-CAR-DOOR FASTENER Application filed September 10, 192?.

The present case is a continuation in part of an earlier application filed June 4, 1925, Serial No. 341,904, Patent No. 1,647,228, November 1, 1927, part of the subject matter hereinafter claimed having been withdrawn from such prior application in compliance with a requirement for division.

The invention herein particularly described and claimed relates to improvements in door fastenings, primarily designed for securing freight car doors in closed position.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railway freight car having an embodiment of the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical section substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 1 is a similar view substantially on the line 4L-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a face view or elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the improved door fastener.

Figure 6 is a view, partly in vertical section, of the latch devices.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail View.

Figure 9 is a'plan, partly broken away and Figure 10 an elevation of means applied to the upper portion of the car door.

Figures 11 and 12 are similar views of a can'nning means applied to the lower portion of the car door.

Figure 13 is an elevation, on a slightly enlarged scale of a slightly different form of door construction from that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 1 is a section substantially on the line 1414c of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a detailed View.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding characters indicate like parts in the several views, 1 designates the body of a freight car, which as shown, is provided with a solid door 2 and a ventilating door 3 suitably supported to slide so that either of said doors may be positioned across or adapted to close an opening 4L- in the side wall 1.

As shown each door is supported by a wheel Serial No. 218,729.

5 which travels along a suitable upper track 6 attached to the car body and wheels 7 which rest upon and travel over a bottom track 8.

It will be understood that the details of the construction of the doors and means supporting them on the car so that they can freely slide to and from a position to bring either one thereof into alignment with the opening in the side wall of the car do not of themselves constitute a part of the present invention. These features, therefore, are shown more or less conventionally and diag nmmatieally.

To retain the door which is positioned across the opening in such closed position a latch member is suitably connected with the car and adapted to be turned to extend across a vertical edge of the door and the door is provided with means for engaging such latch and retaining it in extended position.

As shown the latch member 9 extends through an opening 10 in the car wall 1 and is supported by a hanger 11 which embraces and depends from a threaded shaft 12 that is mounted in bearings provided in opposite walls of a casting 13 suitably secured, as by bolts 1%, to a framing post at one side of the car door opening 1.

The casting 13 is so positioned that the shaft 12 is above the upper edge of the latch opening 10 and said casting may, as shown in the aforesaid earlier application include side and rear walls and a bottom, -substan tially in the plane of the lower edge of the opening. However, in case the'car body is provided with double walls (as in the embodiment herein illustrated) the inner sheathing or wall section will close the back of the opening 10 and worm downward extensions of the sides of the casting 13 and with a suitable bottom casting 15 form the pocket or casing in which the latch member 9 is received when in inoperative position so that no portion thereof will project outward from the car body to interfere with movement of the doors.

' The casting 13 has suitable slots formed in its front and back walls through which the latch member 9 may swing in moving from inoperative to outwardly projecting or extended position.

The threaded latch supporting shaft 12 is provided at its inner end with an enlarged head 16 that bears against the inner rear wall of the casting 13 and receives the pull or draft exerted by the can'nning action of the hand operated lever, hereinafter referred to, employed for securing the latch 9 in its extended position.

It will be seen that the head 16 of shaft 12 is constantly exposed and by applying a suitable implement thereto the shaft may be turned and the hanger 11 positively adjusted longitudinally thereof thus varying the extent to which the latch member will project from the car when in extended position to adapt the fastening means to the particular thickness of the door with which it is to be used.

In order that the casting 13 may be employed either at the right or left hand side of the car door opening 1, the shaft 12 is preferably provided with an annular groove 17, in which is received the lingers formed by bifurcating the lower end of a retaining plate 18 which is bolted, as at 19, to the rear inner wall of the casting 13.

\Vhen the parts are arranged shown in the drawings, it will be seen that any pull or draft by the latch member 9, as it is brought into extended position, lengthwise of the shaft 12 will be resisted by the head 16. If, however, the latch supporting means is arranged at the left hand side of the door opening, so that the latch member 9 when extended will project in the opposite direction from the hanger 11 from that illustrated in Figure 6, the pull or strain in the direction of the length of the shaft 12 due to engaging the latch by the handle actuat d cam hereinafter referred, will be resisted by the retaining plate 18 and the cooperating shoulders on the shaft.

A casting 20 is secured to the car door and carried thereby are two cam surfaces 21 which cooperate with lateral cam shoulders 23 on the latch 9 so that when the latter is swung outward into a position to extend across the edge of the door the shoulders 23 engaging the cam surfaces 21 will positively force the door toward the car wall and effect close contact between the adjacent surfaces thereof.

To assist in swinging the latch member 9 to its extended, operative, position such member is provided at its outer end with a pivotally mounted handle member 29. lVhen the latch member is inoperative and within the casing provided therefor, in rear of the opening 10 of the car wall this pivotally mounted handle will lie entirely back of the outer face of the car wall so that no portion of the latch will be in the path of the sliding door.

On the door plate 20 is fulcrumed a lever 30 having spaced arms 31, 32, between which the latch 9 is received and retained in its extended position. It will be seen that when the parts are in operative engagement the arm 31 on the hand lever 30 extends directly beneath and across the latch member 9, thus positively preventing it from falling and releasing the door unless the hand lever 30 is rocked to the left (Figs. 1 and 5).

A dog or detent 90 may be pivotally mounted on an extension 20 of the door plate 20, so that it can be positioned in alignment with the end of the lever arm 32 and act to prevent turning of lever 30 until said member is rocked upward. The adjacent ends of the arm 32 and dog 90 are preferably apertured as at 32 to receive a seal wire such as commonly used with freight car doors which must be broken before detent 90 can be sprung upward from the position shown in Fig. 5 and the lever 30 be actuated.

As previously explained, the upward swinging of the latch 9 to a position such as shown in the drawings where it extends transversely of the edge of the car door operates through contact of the cam surfaces 21, as a positive camming means to force the door into close contact with the car wall and this action is further insured by the shape of the arm 31 of the actuating lever 30. This arm as shown has a curving surface which engages the lower edge of the latch 9 and positively forces it to its uppermost position when the lever is turned to the position shown in Figures 1 and 5.

Movement of the operating handle 30 of the lever to the left (Figs. 1 and 5) will cause the arm 82 thereof to exert a positive downward push on the latch 9 which is very effective in releasing the latch and also overcoming resistance to opening the door, such as caused by ice forming between the car wall and edges of the door.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated two latch members 9 and cooperating levers 30 are provided, there being a latch member adjacent each vertical edge of the car wall opening 4 and a lever 80 on each door 2, 3.

The extension 20 of the plate 20 attached to the door 3 projects slightly across the adj acent vertical edge of the solid door 2 when the latter is in closed position as shown.

lVhen the doors are adjusted so that the ventilating door 8 is operative, or positioned across the car opening l, only one of the latch members 9 and cooperating lever 80 will be used.

An important feature of the present invention is that means are provided whereby the door which is in closed position is positively forced into close contact with the car wall at points intermediate the vertical edges of the door.

That is, both doors 2, 3, are I provided with means supplemental or additional to the latch 9 and cooperating lever to force both the top and bottom edges of the door into close contact with the car wall above and below the opening 4.

As shown a platedike member, 40, is secured by suitable bolts or screws to the face of each door and extends downward below the lower edge thereof. This plate is providcd with a rearward extension 41 that pr0- j ects beneath the bottom edge of the door and on its forward face, adjacent its lower edge, said plate is provided with a cam surface With said cam surface 42 cooperates a similar but reversely shaped cam which is supported by or formed on a casting 51 attached to the car body and shown as being one of the supports for the bottom door track rail 8.

A generally similar camming means, comprising a cam carried by a casting 61 secured to the door adjacent its upper edge and a cam formed on a casting 62 attached to the car body above the door opening 4 1s provided for forcing the door adjacent its upper edge into close contact with the car wall as the door is slid to closed position.

It will be seen that the movement of the door toward closed position automatically acts through such camming means to effect close contact between the door and wall of the car above and below the opening 4 and this means is positively augmented by the slight movement imparted to the door by turning the hand lever 80 to secure the latch 9 in extended position.

The outward swinging of the latch memher 9 not only (through the coaction of the cam surfaces 21, 23) forces the door toward the wall of the car as before referred to, but by its position between the members 21 positively holds the door against bodily movement in the direction of the length of the car. The position of the latch between the members 21 retains the vertical edge of the door opposite that adjacent the plate 20 in close engagement with a stop on the car wall (see Figure 1) and also maintains the desired contact between the cam surfaces 4250 and 6062 at the bottom and top of the door, respectively, by preventing movement of the door in the direction of the length of the car.

That is the outward swinging 0f the latch 9 serves to secure the door from any bodily movement relative to the wall of the car and the cam lever 30 retains the parts in such relation.

As it may be desirable to effect slight adjustment between the members of said camming devices and the door or car wall to which they are respectively secured, the apertures in the cam supporting castings or plates through which the fastening bolts or screws extend are preferably made elliptical in form, being slightly longer than the diameter of the fastening means, so that the castings may be bodily adjusted transversely of the fastening means to a slight extent.

Further, the outer face of each casting surrounding said apertures 70 is inclined as indicated at 71, 72. By this means it will be seen that by bodily adjusting the cam castings or plates relative to their fastening means the distance between the operative face of the cam and the door or car wall to which it is secured may be slightly varied to compensate for wear between the contacting cam surfaces and to insure the desired close contact when the door is in closed position.

is is believed that the operation and advantages of the improvements willbe readily understood from the drawings and the fore going description.

While the fastening described and illustrated may be employed for securing other forms of doors in closed position it is particularly adapted and intended for use with tl e doors of railway freight cars and therefore such an embodiment of the invention is herein illustrated and described.

For the particular purpose referred to the improved fastening presents many advantages over the means commonly employed for securing freight car doors in closed position. it will be appreciated that such doors fre quently become so warped that great dificulty is experienced in causing the portions thereof adjacent the edges to make the desired close contact with the car wall when positioned across the opening.

By the present invention the movement of the latch member to projected position exerts a positive camming action on the door to move it into close contact with the car wall and this is assisted by the action of the lever on the latch member and by the supplemental cam means located near the top and bottom edges of the door and between the vertical edges thereof.

Another objection to the fastening means hertofore commonly provided for securing freight car doors in closed position is that they frequently are insufiicient to resist the outward pressure of the car loading on the door. To avoid bodily detachment of the fastening devices from a car by such pressure, it is frequently necessary to build a special barrier, or inside wall, across the door opening in the car. This causes delay in shipments, increases the expense and frequently damages the car.

By the present invention, however, the resistance of the door to outward pressure from the car loading is not only resisted by the fastening means adjacent the vertical edge or edges of the door but also by the supplemental cam means located near the top and bottom edges of the door at points between the vertical edges thereof.

If desired, the present improvements may be applied to a car the door opening in which is surrounded by weather strips as disclosed in the said Patent No. 1,647,228.

Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figures 13 and 14. Referring to these figures, the door opening in the car wall is preferably surrounded by suitable weather strips, which may be metal plates 100, 101, 102 and 103. Similar additional strips 104, and 105 are preferably provided adjacent the vertical edges of the door opening, being spaced slightly from the strips 102, 103 to provide conduits or channels 106, which will serve to conduct any water that may strike or collect upon the upper surface of the transverse strip 100 downward and discharge the same below the car door.

In Figures 13 and 1 1 the solid door only is illustrated and it will be noted that the car body camming member ccoperating with the lower portion of such door is of slightly different form from that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. In the modified form of cam (51) a slot is provided through which the lower track rail 8 extends instead of making this track rail in sections and separately connecting them to ears on the casting 51 as in the form shown in Figures 1 to 3.

The invention provides a simple, strong and inexensive means for securely fastening the doors of railway freight cars in closed position.

It will, of course, be understood that there can be variation and changes as regards some of the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings without departing from the invention, and that the illustration is not to be considered as restrictive of the invention except where the details are specifically included in the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a wall provided with an opening and a door adapted to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member connected with the wall and adapted to be positioned to extend from the wall transversely of the thickness of the door, a cam carried by the door and adapted to be engaged by said wall member, as the latter is turned to its extended position, whereby the door will be forced into close engagement with the wall, and a lever adapted to swing in a plane parallel to the outer face of the door and secure said wall member in its extended position.

2. The combination with a wall provided with an opening and a door adapted to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member connected with the wall and adapted to be positioned to extend from the wall transversely of the thickness of the door, a cam carried by the door and adapted to be engaged by said wall member, as the latter is turned to its extended position, whereby the door will be forced into close engagement with the wall, and a retaining device adapted to engage opposite edges of said wall member when in its extended position.

3. The combination with a wall provided with an opening and a door adapted to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member pivotally connected with the wall to swing about a substantially horizontal axis to and from a position extending transversely of the thickness of the door, a member on the door adapted to cooperate with said pivotally mounted member whereby when the pivotally mounted member is turned to its extended position, the door will be forced into close engagement with the wall, and a lever fulcrumed on the door and adapted to engage said wall member when in its extended position and latch it in such position.

l. The combination with a wall provided with an opening and a door adapted to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a bar-like member pivotally connected to the wall and adapted to be turned to extend transversely across an edge of the door, two cams connected with the door and positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said wall member, projections on the wall mem ber adapted to cooperate with said cams, as the member is turned to its extended position, to force the door close to the wall, and means for holding said wall member in its extended position.

5. The combination with a wall provided with an opening and a door adapted to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a bar-like member pivotally connected to the wall and adapted to be turned to extend transversely across an edge of the door, two cams connected with the door and positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said wall member, projections on the wall member adapted to cooperate with said cams, to force the door close to the wall, and a lever mounted on the door and adapted to be adjusted into engagement with said wall member to secure it in its extended position.

6. A fastener for railway car doors comprising a member adapted to be attached to the body of a car and to be projected therefrom to extend transversely of the thickness of a door of the car, and means adapted to be secured to the car door and to cooperate with said member to positively force the door toward the car body when said member is in its projected position, said means including an adjustable device for holding the said mem ber in said projected position.

7. A fastener for railway car doors comprising a member adapted to be attached to the body of a car and to be projected therefrom to extend transversely of the thickness of a door of the car, and means adapted to be secured to the car door and to cooperate with said member to positively force the door toward the car body when said member is in its projected position, said means in eluding a lever adapted to secure the said member in its projected position.

8. A fastener for railway car doors com prising a member adapted to be attached to the body of a car and to be projected therefrom to extend transversely of the thickness of a door of the car, means adapted to be secured to the car door and to cooperate with said member to positively force the door to ward the car body when said member is in its projected position, the supporting means for said member permitting it to be bodily adjusted toward and from the door, to adapt the fastener for use with doors of different thickness, and means for securing the mono ber in said projected position.

9. The combination with a railway car haw ing an opening in a side wall and a door supported to move to and from a position to close said opening, of a member supported by the car and adapted to be positioned to extend transversely of the thickness of the door, a member secured to the door and provided with a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the said car member as the latter is moved to its extended position to force the door close against the car wall, and means for securing said car member in such extended position.

10. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall. and a door supported to move to and from a position to close said opening, of a member supported by the car and adapted to be positioned to extend transversely of the thickness of the door and to engage the door and hold it in close engagement with the wall of the car when said member is in its extended position, and a lever fulcrumed on the car door and provided with a slot adapted to receive said car member when in extended position and retain it therein.

11. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall, and a door supported to slide to and from a position to close said opening, a threaded shaft supported in bearings connected with the car at one side of said opening therein, a hanger engaged with and depending from said shaft, a latch member pivotally connected to said hanger and adapted to be positioned to extend transversely of the thickness of the door, a member secured to the door and provided with a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the latch member as the latter is moveo to its extended position, to force the door close against the car wall, and means for securing the latch member in such extended. position.

12. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall, and a door supported to slide to and from a position to close said opening, a casing supported by the car adjacent one of the Vertical edges of the aforesaid opening, a threaded shaft journaled in hearings in opposite walls of said casing and provided at one end with means engaging one of said walls to resist longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, a retainer plate connected to the casing and engaging the shaft to resist longitudinal movement thereof in the other direction while permitting rotation of the shaft, a hanger engaged with and depending from the shaft, a latch member pivotally connected to said hanger and adapted to be positioned to extend transversely of the thickness of the door, a member secured to the door and provided with a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the latch member as the latter is moved to its extended position, to force the door close against the car wall, and means for securing the latch member in such extended position.

13. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall, and a door supported to slide to and from a position to close said opening, a casing supported by the car adjacent one of the vertical edges of the aforesaid opening, a threaded shaft journaled in bearings in opposite walls of said casing and provided at one end with a head engaging one of said walls to resist longitudinal mo vement of the shaft in one direction, said shaft having an annular groove formed therein, a retainer plate connected to the casing and having a bifurcated end extending into said groove and constituting an abutment to resist longitudinal movement of the shaft in a direction toward the headed end thereof, a hanger engaged with and depending from the shaft, a latch member pivotally connected to said hanger and adapted to be positioned to extend transversely of the thickness of the door, a member secured to the door and provided with a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the latch member as the latter is moved to its extended position, to force the door close against the car wall, and means for securing the latch member in such extended position.

i l. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall and a door supported to slide toward and from a position to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member pivotally connected with the car wall and adapted to be swung about its axis to and from a position where it will extend transversely of the thickness of the door, cooperating cam means on the door and said wall member whereby as said member is swung outward the door will be forced against the car wall, and a lever on the door movable in a plane transverse to the length of said wall member and adapted topositively move said member to and from fully extended position.

15. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall and a door supported to slide toward and from a position to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a pivotally mounted latch, cooperatmg cam means on the door and said latch whereby as the latch is swung in one direction the door will be forced against the car Wall, and a lever mounted on the door to rock about an axis substantially at right angles to the axis of said latch, and having two arms adapted to respectively pass above and below the latch when the latter is in operative position, whereby movement of said lever in either direction will effect a positiy e movement of the latch.

16. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side Wall, and a door supported to slide to and from a position to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member connected with the car wall adjacent a vertical edge of said opening and adapted to be positioned to extend from the Wall transversely of the thickness of the door to force the door close against the wall of the car and prevent movement thereof in the direction of the length of the car, and means for retaining said wall member in its extended position.

17. The combination with a railway car having an opening in a side wall, and a door supported to slide to and from a position to close said opening, of a fastening comprising a member connected with the car Wall adj acent a vertical edge of said opening and adapted to be positioned to extend from the wall transversely of the thickness of the door, a cam carried b the door and adapted to be engaged by said wall member as the latter is turned to its extended position, whereby the door will be forced into close engagement with the car wall, means cooperating with said movable member when in extended position for preventing movement of the door in the direction of the length of the car, and means for retaining said wall member in its extended position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JAMES A. HICKS. 

